Local sports brands cash in on IPL

While big brands like Puma, Adidas and Nike are making most of the opportunity by promoting

themselves in a big way during the ongoing IPL tournament. Even Jalandhar-based small sports equipment makers are cashing in on the mega sports event by roping in IPL players to endorse their products. According to these manufacturers, the endorsement deal with players of IPL Season 5 is not only expected to give them instant recognition across the country but will also give a boost to the domestic sports goods industry. For instance, FC Sondhi and Company has hired six IPL players to endorse their brand PROTOS, which they believe will help in promoting the brand in domestic market. F C Sondhi and Company, which also makes sports equipment for Puma and Adidas, would give ‘PROTOS’ bats, pads and gloves to the signed players. The company has signed a pact with six players including Sunny Sohal (Deccan Chargers), Aditya Tare (Mumbai Indians), Pinal Shah (Rajasthan Royals), Ramesh Powar (Kings XI Punjab) for brand endorsement. Players like V V S Laxman and Amit Mishra are also using PROTOS sports kit.

Spartan, another cricket gear brand in Jalandhar, has roped in Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore and Paul Valthaty (Kings XI Punjab) to endorse their brand. The cricketers will use their gear during the IPL matches. Spartan had also signed an agreement with Australian player Michael Clarke couple of months back.

As per the sports good industry insiders, while most of the cricketers use cricket equipment manufactured in Jalandhar, small manufacturers never got an opportunity to endorse their brands due to heavy fees charged by the layers, but now, it has become possible with the on-going IPL season.